Shins, the / Chutes Too Narrow
Album: Chutes Too Narrow   Collection:General
Artist:Shins, the   Added:Nov 2003
Label:Sub Pop Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2003-11-17 Pull Date: 2004-01-19
Week Ending: Jan 25 Jan 18 Jan 11 Dec 28 Dec 21 Dec 14 Nov 30 Nov 23
Airplays: 1 5 3 2 3 4 5 4

Recent Airplay
1. Nov 27, 2020: KZSU Time Traveler
Young Pilgrims
4. Oct 15, 2015: funk to folk
So Says I
2. Sep 01, 2018: The Road Trip
Young Pilgrims
5. Jul 13, 2015: Shytown After Hours!!
Those to Come
3. Apr 13, 2017: FMF
Gone for Good
6. Feb 02, 2015: Shytown
So Says I

Album Review
Eric K!
Reviewed 2003-11-10
Great! For those of you not in the know, the Shins make ambitious British-sounding power-pop. Obvious comparisons are the Left Banke, the Zombies, the Beach Boys, Big Star, the Pernice Brothers, and the Elephant 6 bands. Singer James Mercer is possessed of a breathy and pure Colin Blunstonesque voice which is used to great effect here. The songs are extraordinary catchy with clever and heartfelt, yet abstract lyrics.
For those of you who are wondering, this album is not a repeat of their classic debut _Oh, Inverted World_. This is a much more understated and orchestrated album recalling the Left Banke ("Walk Away, Renee") where _OIW_ recalled Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys. James Mercer tries his hand at singer-songwriter style folk (4, 7, 10) and the result is a little too laid-back for my taste. Still the power-pop rockers (2, 3) are here
(and still stuck in my head). The Shins also do their quirky takes on country (9) and garage-rock (6,8) to great effect.

Stand-out tracks: 2, 3, 5, 8, 9

1. A little too indie-pop for me, reminiscent of their work as Flake music
2. Super-catchy, acoustic guitar driven, neat organ. moving, obscure lyrics
3. The single! Electrified swagger, driven, great chorus with weird treated background effects
4. Folky, subdued, sweet. Heartfelt abstract lyrics
5. Catchy, sing-a-long. Oldies R&B-style rhythm guitar, quirky vibraphone(?), medieval-sounding interlude, very Left Banke
6. Rocking, garagey with muted guitar and organ, great chorus, harmonica
7. folky, winding organ, sad, very mellow
8. garagey beat, catchy, clever lyrics, story of attraction, "Just a glimpse of an ankle and I react like it's 1805."
9. So cute, the Shins try country. Great pedal steel.
10. Subdued, clever. A little too mellow.

Track Listing
1. Kissing the Lipless   6. Fighting in a Sack
2. Mine's not a High Horse   7. Pink Bullets
3. So Says I   8. Turn a Square
4. Young Pilgrims   9. Gone for Good
5. Saint Simon   10. Those to Come